this post was submitted on 05 Jan 2026
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WHAT WOULD DONALD Trump have to do for the U.S. media to frame what he is doing in Venezuela as an act of war?

This isn’t a rhetorical question. It’s an actual inquiry, the pursuit of which can reveal a lot about how U.S. media’s default posture is state subservience and stenography. In the past few months, President Trump has committed several clear acts of war against Venezuela, including: murdering — in cold blood — scores of its citizens, hijacking its ships, stealing its resources, issuing a naval blockade, and attacking its ports. Then in a stunning escalation on early Saturday morning, the administration invaded Venezuela’s sovereign territory, bombing several buildings, killing at least 40 more of its citizens, kidnapping Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife from their bed, and announcing they will, henceforth, “run” the country.

This episode seems to indicate that the president can do almost anything in the context of foreign policy, and the media will still overwhelmingly adopt language that is flattering and sanitizing to the administration when describing what has unfolded. This dynamic reached a new low Saturday morning, when the U.S. media rushed to frame the administration’s unprovoked attack as, at worst, a “ratcheted up” (CBS News) “pressure campaign” (Wall Street Journal) and, as was more often the case, some type of limited narcotics police “operation” (CNN).

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[–] CircaV@lemmy.ca 20 points 3 days ago (1 children)

The world is sleepwalking into WWIII

[–] SpruceBringsteen@lemmy.world 2 points 3 days ago

Seriously, the US isn't going to be the only country looking to put their finger on the scale in Venezuela. Heck, there's plenty who will do so just to further entangle the US.

[–] Naevermix@lemmy.world 26 points 3 days ago (2 children)

It is an act of war, the "capture" of Maduro is a kidnapping, and the deaths of ~80 cuban and venezuelan security and civilians is murder.

USA is a rogue state.

[–] bytesonbike@discuss.online 6 points 3 days ago

Not many people are bringing up that the US invaded a country and not only kidnapped a guy, but left a trail of bodies.

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/us-attack-venezuela-death-toll-rises-80-civilians-and-military-personnel-1

[–] shiftymccool@piefed.ca 5 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

Please, we desperately need to be invaded and conquered by the most convenient communist country

Edit: not sarcasm

[–] OshagHennessey@lemmy.world 7 points 2 days ago

The US media is owned by the same oligarchs who benefit from his fascism. Why would they bite the hand that feeds?

[–] xenomor@lemmy.world 178 points 4 days ago (9 children)

If China decided that trump had violated some domestic law of theirs, and sent their military into Florida, dragged him and his third wife out of their beds, flew them back to their territory, and put them in prison, would these assholes consider that an act of war?

[–] velindora@lemmy.cafe 70 points 4 days ago (3 children)
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[–] ayyy@sh.itjust.works 29 points 4 days ago

Stop, I can only get so erect.

[–] aarch0x40@piefed.social 48 points 4 days ago (1 children)
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[–] lka1988@sh.itjust.works 23 points 4 days ago (1 children)

MAGA would be screaming about it until the end of time if that happened. Because it's different. Somehow.

[–] amorangi@lemmy.nz 20 points 3 days ago (2 children)

It's called American Exceptionalism, and it's much older than MAGA.

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[–] Witchfire@lemmy.world 30 points 4 days ago

Don't promise me a good time

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[–] ameancow@lemmy.world 87 points 4 days ago (1 children)

USA Nukes Poland

"The president took another eyebrow-raising strategy today, let's talk to a panel of assorted youtube streamers to analyze what he meant with this action..."

[–] MonkeMischief@lemmy.today 19 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Friggin RIGHT?!?!?!

The semantics at play indicate the media "watchdogs" have put their tails between their legs and pissed themselves.

[–] ameancow@lemmy.world 21 points 3 days ago (4 children)

Media is just bought and controlled by the corporate donor class who have installed this administration to begin with. Every major outlet is compromised.

Every time you see media making the administration angry or they have spats, it's just performance. I think if everyone realized how much of what we are experiencing is kayfabe people would have a mental breakdown.

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[–] rylock@piefed.zip 100 points 4 days ago (3 children)

ABC was covering it like it was a football game. "Incredible performance from the US military", "Flawless victory over the Venezuelans", "Impressive display of professionalism from the troops"

Makes me sick.

[–] phoenixz@lemmy.ca 28 points 4 days ago (4 children)

That is nauseating. These are human lives, 80 people died

[–] ShaggySnacks@lemmy.myserv.one 11 points 4 days ago

That's cause only white people matter.

[–] ohulancutash@feddit.uk 2 points 2 days ago (1 children)

And its the military’s job to kill people. I’ve never got people who love soldiers.

[–] phoenixz@lemmy.ca 1 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Soldiers are still human beings and there are enough instances where soldiers did the right thing. Aside that, soldiers do what they're told. Kill the one person in charge and all soldiers stop

[–] Petter1@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 1 day ago

Hen turning off their critical thinking on purpose are a pity..

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[–] ohulancutash@feddit.uk 3 points 2 days ago

Remember when the invasion of Afghanistan got its own theme tune and title sequence?

[–] 100_kg_90_de_belin@feddit.it 4 points 3 days ago

DAE all the Lemmings saying that the good men in the military would refuse to carry out unlawful orders because they swore an oath to the Costitution?

[–] melsaskca@lemmy.ca 15 points 3 days ago (1 children)

The subscription billionaire media companies are all complicit, and have been for quite a while.

[–] melfie@lemy.lol 4 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

As written by General Buttler in 1935, War is a Racket. The billionaire cabal benefits from war immensely, and the media they own and control will always sing the praises of war.

[–] SarahFromOz@lemmy.world 113 points 4 days ago (2 children)

“I could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn’t lose voters,”

Or the support of the press !

[–] NateNate60@lemmy.world 32 points 4 days ago (2 children)

Major news organisations in general are really scared when it comes to pointing out things which are extreme, because they believe describing those things as extreme will lead to accusations of sensationalism. The reason they think that is because sensationalist outlets are indeed more likely to describe everything as extreme and make unjustified comparisons to extremities, so major media outlets often think that to be "unbiased" is to refuse to acknowledge that an action is extreme.

Vox described this as the "this is fine" bias.

[–] Mrkawfee@lemmy.world 16 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

Major "news" organisations are owned by oligarchs who support Trump so they have abandoned any pretence of accountability

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[–] Bakkoda@lemmy.world 28 points 3 days ago

Billionaire owned media isn't covering this?

[–] random_character_a@lemmy.world 82 points 4 days ago (6 children)

"Special military operation"

[–] ewo@piefed.ca 18 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

At least Dr Evil was evilly cool compared to these facists!

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[–] sturmblast@lemmy.world 8 points 3 days ago (1 children)

This was an act of war wrapped in the shroud of narcotics enforcement

[–] Naevermix@lemmy.world 6 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

Who actually believed that justification? Not even the MAGA crowd believe it, they just straight up say its about oil. Back in 2016 they called neocons "rhinos", now MAGA is neocon, cheering for the very same things they previously hated Bush Jr. for.

[–] sturmblast@lemmy.world 3 points 3 days ago

I agree, I'm describing what THEY call it

[–] reddig33@lemmy.world 10 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Will be interesting to see what Maduro’s trial judge says.

[–] CircaV@lemmy.ca 4 points 3 days ago (1 children)

As IF he gets anything close to a fair trial. Everything about this kidnapping was illegal to begin with. All world leaders can now be kidnapped in their beds by US Special Forces. What happened to Noriega will happen to Maduro.

Why haven’t they captured genocider Netanyahu?? Oh right…….

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[–] tooLikeTheNope@lemmy.ml 5 points 3 days ago

"Special Military Operation"

[–] joyjoy@lemmy.zip 22 points 4 days ago (3 children)

Special Millitary Operation in Venezuela. Quick 30 minute adventure. 

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[–] CircaV@lemmy.ca 6 points 3 days ago
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